tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post8913651623615725371..comments2024-03-25T20:40:44.806-04:00Comments on Literary Rejections on Display Now Has Long COVID: Lamest Phone-Call Rejection EverWriter, Rejectedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17241982229214057815noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-25280549527094369712012-07-25T21:37:34.648-04:002012-07-25T21:37:34.648-04:00You could write a story about it: Assistant editor...You could write a story about it: Assistant editor rejects book she doesn't bother to read...and because she didn't read the essay on...insert topic...(all these bad things happen to her) and she ends up being murdered, turned into newsprint paper...imprinted with stories no one will read.Cari Hislophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15717398455999202660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-37715737415437083752012-07-15T07:44:52.589-04:002012-07-15T07:44:52.589-04:00I think you could have just sent a nice card sayin...I think you could have just sent a nice card saying: 'Thanks for reading my essay collection and good luck with your work as a small press. Let's meet for coffee in a few months to talk about other ideas.' and let it go. You know - the cosmic letting go/ who gives a fuck? They're struggling, writers are struggling, everybody's struggling. Geez, life is too short.:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-9809715063791276572012-07-14T19:35:43.574-04:002012-07-14T19:35:43.574-04:00Sorry, last comment was meant for post above this....Sorry, last comment was meant for post above this. Delete if possible, thx.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-29874098421238148922012-07-14T19:33:50.533-04:002012-07-14T19:33:50.533-04:00I see this debate come up quite often, here and at...I see this debate come up quite often, here and at other sites. As a current MFA candidate at what is a top ten program according to the PW/Seth Abramson rankings (you might think such rankings are BS, and you might be right--just trying to offer some credentials), perhaps I can shed some light, or at any rate offer my opinion on the value of an MFA.<br /><br />The way people talk about it, the gatekeepers at magazines and publishing houses don't let you in the door without flashing your MFA security badge. I can assure you, with or without an MFA, you are usually not getting through these doors. Let me put it another way: You are much more likely to get published if you spend the next three years working on your trashy vampire or lite S&M novel, than if you spend them workshopping and teaching at Iowa or Brown or wherever. <br /><br />I have worked on the editorial board of one of the better-known literary magazines. I can 100% unequivocally state that we gave no preference to submissions from MFA holders. After the first week, I barely read the cover letters, and at any rate learned quickly that academic pedigree and even former publications had very little correlation with the likely quality of a piece. It's true that we had a slush pile and an "Approved" pile (rubber stamped for various reasons by the editor), but to my knowledge they weren't categorized as such b/c of the author's academic history. I read a metric ton of slush submissions from MFAers out of top-flight programs. <br /><br />Here's the main thing an MFA degree is good for: having time to write. That's it. Having two or three funded years to learn and to work on your projects. Afterwards, the large majority of MFA holders return to the workforce. <br /><br />Now, it's true that you get to network a little. You meet people you wouldn't have met otherwise, and I'm sure a few savvy types manage to parlay these social connections into publishing deals, but I've never seen it. MFA or no MFA, getting published mostly comes down to working harder than everyone else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-12200245597816341982012-07-13T08:00:02.597-04:002012-07-13T08:00:02.597-04:00I think you owe it to us to call this person back ...I think you owe it to us to call this person back and tell him/her that this kind of behavior is unprofessional. Or better yet, call the publisher and tell him/her. As writers, we shouldn't accept this kind of mistreatment. Also, you should tell us what press this is, so we can avoid it in the future.Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-66652678433847135992012-07-11T13:21:12.740-04:002012-07-11T13:21:12.740-04:00I see nothing wrong with "SUCK IT." Tho...I see nothing wrong with "SUCK IT." Though sometimes I resort to saying the opposite for the sheer sarcastic effect. You could have said: "Nice. Nice way to treat people."heynonnynonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-63759755714511334552012-07-11T11:48:37.458-04:002012-07-11T11:48:37.458-04:00Wow. I was really hoping something better would c...Wow. I was really hoping something better would come from that phone call for you. Judging from the Associate Publisher's lameass incompetence, you're probably better off NOT having him publish your work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com